About the Ankh Cross See also free ankh pictures and clip-art. The Ankh Cross represents life (immortality) and death, male and female, balance. It can also represent zest, joy of life, and energy. It's closely related to the looped cross that can mean fertility and life. The Ancient Egyptians used the ankh to stand for a word meaning life. It is also called crux ansata, Latin for cross-with-a-handle. When the Roman Emperor Constantine claimed to have had a vision of death outside the walls of Jerusalem he made the symbol of punishment and death (the cross) synonymous with Christianity; Constantine's cross was made from a sword and a spear, a sign that a soldier could make, and non-Christians learned to hate and fear the brutality that was associated with this symbol for over a thousand years. As a result, the Ankh Cross, like the swastica usurped by the Nazis, has become associated also with Christianity. Like most religious or spiritual symbols, the Ankh Cross doesn't have a single simple meaning. The following extracts from books on symbols might help you get a feeling for it, though. Hall's Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols Ankh.

Egyption hieroglyph for life, possibly originaly a representation of a sandal strap. As a symbol is denotes eternal life and when held to the nose of a dead pharaoh ensures his everlasting existance. It is held by many deities, in particular Atum, the sun-god of Heliopolis, and (when seated) Sekhmet, the lion-headed war-goddess of memphis. A was Sceptre combining the djed column and ankh is the attribute of Ptah. On the walls of temples it gives divine protection to the deceased. The Coptic Church adopted it as a form of the Cross, called ansate (having a handle). Hall's illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art, James Hall, published by John Murray in 1994 Dictionary of Symbols, Liungman The ancient Egyptian staff sign or god staff ankh, which is also believed to be the hieroglyph used to symbolize reproduction and sexual union. According to other sources means life and zest for life. The best summary of its meaning is future life, life after death. Hathor, who was both the goddess of the zest for life and the goddess of death, carried and gave life with it.

This contradictory character in many ways corresponds to the Venus goddess Inanna, Ischtar, Astarte, and Aphrodite. For a derivation of the relation between , A Dictionary of Symbols, Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant Ankh (see also Cross, Knot) The Egyptian crux ansata, or looped tau-cross. This magic knot or cross, known as Nem Ankh, the key of life, was often used in the iconography of opposites. The loop over the tau-cross could stand for the Sun, for Heaven and Eath as the macrocsm and for man as the microcosm. It is generally interpreted as a symbol which expresses the reconciliation of opposites of the integration of active and passive qualities. This is amply confirmed by the fact that, when recumbent, the ankh symbolizes both male and female sexual attributes in precisely the same way as the very realistic Hindo depiction of a Hermaphrodite standing on a Lotus flower. Champdor gives a more traditional interpretation as: the symbol of the millions of years of the life to come.

The loop is the perfect symbol of what has neither beginning nor end and stands for the soul which is eternal because it has sprung from the spiritual essence of the gods. The cross erpresents the state of trance in which te neophyte struggled, or, more precisely, the state of death, the crucifixion of the chosen victim, and in some temples the priests used to lay the neophyte on a bed shaped like the cross... The possessor of the geometric key to the hidden mysteries, of which the symbol was this very looped cross, was able to open the gates of the Kingdom of the Dead and penetrate the hidden meaning of eternal life. Cham, p.22 Gods, kinks and Isis (almost invariably) are depicted holding the ankh to show that they command the powers of life and death and that they are immortal. The dead also carry it at the time their souls are weighed or when they are aboard the Boat of the Sun God, as a sign that they seek this same immortality from the gods. Furthermore the ankh symbolized the spring from which flowed divine virtues and the elixir of immortality. Therefore to hold the ankh was to drink from that well.

It was sometimes held upside down by the loop - especially in funeral rites when it suggested the shape of a key and in reality was the key which opened the gateway of the tomb into the Fields of Aalu, the realm of eternity. Sometimes the ankh is placed on the forehead, between the eyes, and then it symbolizes the duty of the adept to keep secret the mystery into which he has been initiated - it is the key which locks these secrets away from the uninitiated. Blessed by the supreme vision, endowed with clairvoyance to pierce the veil of the beyond, he cannot attemot to reveal the mystery without losing it for ever. The ankh is often set in the same category as the Girdle of Isis, as a symbol of eternity. This is not because its straight lines may be lengthened in the imagination to infinity, but because they converge upon and meet in a closed loop. This loop symbolizes the inexhaustible essence of the life force identified with isis, from whom life flows in all its forms. it is therefore carried by all those who wish to share her life. Hence the ankh may be identified with the Tree of Life, with its trunk and foliage.

The significance of the Girdle of Isis is far more complex. Like ropework or plaited hair round the arms and the loop of the cross, it infuses the concept of life and of immortality with the concept of the knots which tie down mortal life on Earth and which must be unravelled to enjoy immortality. `Free your bonds,' says The Egyptian Book of the Dead, `untie the knots of Nephthys.' And again: `Shining are those who carry the girdle. Oh! Bearers of the Girdle.' The same meaning is conveyed by the Tibetan Buddhist book called The Book of the Untying of the Knots. While the plain looped cross symbolizes divine immortality, sought orattained, the Girdle of Isis makes clear the conditions under which that immortality is obtained - by the untying of knots - dénouement in the true sense of the word. A Dictionary of Symbols, Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant, translated from the French by John Buchan-Brown, Blackwell, 1994 (the French edition was originally published by Éditions Robert Laffront S.A.

in 1969, 2nd ed. 1982) If you get this book, try and get the hardback edition: the reviews at Amazon say the Penguin paperback is on cheap paper, at least in the US. Note also that the English edition is not illustrated. Links Some other Web pages about the ankh: The Afrocentric Experience said The Ankh is defined as: The symbolic representation of both Physical and Eternal life. It is known as the original cross, which is a powerful symbol that was first created by Africans in Ancient Egypt. pantheon.org says It is also known as the Key of the Nile, representing the union of Isis and Osiris. It is said that this mystic union would initiate the annual flooding of the Nile, providing Egypt with her various means to survive. The meaning of the ankh as womb, thus fertility and reproduction, is well-illustrated in this particular legend. Ankh - Crystalinks The Ankh is also known as key of life, the key of the Nile or crux ansata (Latin meaning "cross with a handle"), was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "eternal life".

Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over their chest. The symbolic representation of both Physical and Eternal life. It is known as the original cross, which is a powerful symbol that was first created by Africans in Ancient Egypt. The Ankh is typically associated with material things such as water (which was believed by Egyptians to regenerate life), air, sun, as well as with the Gods, who are frequently pictured carrying an Ankh. Egyptian gods carried the ankh by the loop, or held one in each hand crossed over their breast. Latinists interpreted the symbol as a crux ansata, "cross with a handle". Merenptah offering an 'ankh', 'djed', and 'was' to Ptah Ptah and the Ankh Djed Origins The precise origin of the symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted. E. A. Wallis Budge thought it might have originated as the belt-buckle of the mother goddess Isis, an idea joined by Wolfhart Westendorf with the notion that both the ankh and the knot of Isis were used as ties on ceremonial girdles.

Sir Alan Gardiner speculated that it represented a sandal strap, with the loop going around the ankle. Still other theories include the notion that the ankh represents the sun crowning over the horizon, the path of the sun from east to west (with the loop representing the Nile), a stylized person, or that it is a combination of the male and female symbols of Osiris (the cross) and Isis (the oval) respectively, and therefore signifies the union of heaven and earth. In their 2004 book "The Quick and the Dead", Andrew H. Gordon and Calvin W. Schwabe speculated that the ankh, djed and was symbols have a biological basis derived from ancient cattle culture (linked to the Egyptian belief that semen was created in the spine), thus: the Ankh - symbol of life - thoracic vertebra of a bull (seen in cross section) the Djed - symbol of stability - base on sacrum of a bull's spine the Was - symbol of power and dominion - a staff made from a dried bull's penis Over time, the ankh has come to symbolize life and immortality, the universe, power and life-giving air and water.

Its keylike shape has also encouraged the belief it could unlock the gates of death, and it is viewed this way by the modern Rosicrucians and other hermetic orders. The Coptic Christians have used it as a symbol of life after death. In Egyptian Art The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian tomb paintings and other art; it often appears at the fingertips of a god or goddess in images that represent the deities of the afterlife conferring the gift of life on the dead person's mummy. The ankh symbol was often carried by Egyptians as an amulet, either alone, or in connection with two other hieroglyphs that mean "strength" and "health." Mirrors were often made in the shape of an ankh. Sometimes, in art, the Ankh was shown being touched by a god onto a person, which usually symbolized conception. In Alchemy A similar symbol was used to represent the Roman goddess Venus. This symbol, known benignly as Venus' hand-mirrot, is much more associated with a representation of the female womb. In astrology the same symbol is used to represent the planet Venus. In Alchemy it represents the element copper. In Biology to identify females.

In Hermeticism Hermeticism is an Egyptian belief system whose beliefs may explain many of the Ankh's meanings. It is unclear whether their beliefs created the ankh or added many meanings, or remain a coincidence. If the concept of the ankh suggesting the joining of the masculine and feminine is correct, with the top opened up to look similar to representing the feminine (genitalia) and the bottom shaft being a phallic symbol, then the rest may follow. If God is both male and female, the ankh is a symbol of hermaphroditism and can be representing God. It also can be representing reproduction as both genitalia are pictured. The Ankh and the Cross The long standing importance of the Ankh, and its deep symbolism to the dynastic Egyptians, lead to it being gradually adopted by the very early Christian church in Egypt (which eventually became the Coptic Church). This is highly significant, as it is almost certainly the genesis of the cross, as the central thematic symbol of the Christian religion. A kind of cross, the ankh, had long been a central religous symbol. It was non-anthropormorphic, not even animal-like. The gods had all been animal faced-human figures.

Akhenaten's benevolent sun, was the only other symbol that was so esoteric. This cross implied all the "god ideas" that are very infinite in nature. As monotheism is at the core of Christian beleif, the ankh seemed a good choice to symbolize the belief in one all powerful God. Over time, the idea that his son had died on a kind of cross, made it seem, all the more appropriate. To other Christians, outside of the ankh's influence, the image the roman cross of execution was 'shameful" in the manner that a hanging noose would be, or headsman's ax. The association in Egypt of the ankh cross with both God the Father, and Jesus the Son, felt right. Elsewhere, the main christian symbol at the time had been a stylised alpha, resembling a fish, and therefore known as Ichthys, the Greek word for fish. However, the new "more positive" symbol of a cross eventually spread throughout the Christianized Empire. The distinct circular or "gothic arch-like" upper part of the Ankh was kept well into mediaeval times. The Ankh symbol often was being used as a Christian talisman.

The illustration, here, of a Christian 3th Century bust with a transitional "ankh becoming a cross", was found in the 1960s in the Fayuom ,Egypt, acheological region. It was often worn as an amulet to extend one's life and placed on the mummy to energize the resurrected spirit. The Ankh of the God Anubis is related to the protection of the dead, that of Sekmet, War, Hapi related to the living waters of the Nile and Amen, the spirit God, the breath of life. Ankh - Ancient Egyptian Symbol Meaning By Catherine Beyer Updated July 24, 2016. The ankh is the most well-known symbol to come out of ancient Egypt . In their hieroglyphic system of writing the ankh represents the concept of eternal life, and that is the general meaning of the symbol. Construction of the Image: The ankh is an oval or point-down teardrop set atop a T shape. The origin of this image is highly debated. Some have suggested that it represents a sandal strap, although the reasoning behind such a use is not obvious.

Others point out the similarity with another shape known as a knot of Isis (or a tyet), the meaning of which is also obscure. The most commonly repeated explanation is that it is a union of a female symbol (the oval, representing the vagina or uterus) with a male symbol (the phallic upright line), but there's no actual evidence supporting that interpretation. Funeral Context: The ankh is generally displayed in association with the gods. Most are found in funerary images. However, most surviving artwork in Egypt is found in tombs, so availability of evidence is skewed. The gods involved in the judgment of the dead may possess ankh. They may carry it in their hand or hold it up to the nose of the deceased, breathing in eternal life. There are also funerary statues of pharaohs in which an ankh is clutched in each hand, although a crook and flail – symbols of authority – are more common. Purification Context: There are also images of gods pouring water over the head of the pharaoh as part of a purification ritual, with the water being represented by chains of ankhs and was (representing power and dominion) symbols.

It reinforces the close connection the pharaohs had with the gods in whose name he ruled and to whom he returned after death. The Aten: Pharaoh Akhenaten embraced a monotheistic religion centered on worship of the sun disk, known as the Aten. Artwork from the time of his rule, known as the Amarna period, always includes the Aten in images of the pharaoh. This image is a circular disk with rays terminating in hands reaching down toward the royal family. Sometimes, although not always, the hands clutch ankhs. Again, the meaning is clear: eternal life is a gift of the gods meant most specifically for the pharaoh and perhaps his family. (Akhenaten emphasized the role of his family much more than other pharaohs. More often, pharaohs are depicted alone or with the gods.) Was and Djed: The ankh is also commonly displayed in association with the was staff or djed column . The djed column represents stability and fortitude. It is closely associated with Osiris, god of the underworld and also of fertility, and it has been suggested that the column represents a stylized tree. The was staff is a symbol of the power of rulership.

Together, the symbols appear to offer strength, success, longevity and long life. Uses of the Ankh Today : The ankh continues to be used by a variety of people. Kemetic pagans , dedicated to reconstructing Egyptian traditional religion often use it as a symbol of their faith. Various new agers and neopagans use the symbol more generically as a symbol of life or sometimes as a symbol of wisdom. In Thelema it is viewed as the union of opposites as well as a symbol of divinity and moving toward one's destiny. The Coptic Cross : The early Coptic Christians used a cross known as a crux ansata (Latin for "cross with a handle") that resembled an ankh. Modern Coptic crosses, however, are crosses with arms of equal length. A circle design is sometimes incorporated into the center of the symbol, but it is not required. 1000+ images about The Ankh / cross of Life on Pinterest | Female male, A symbol and Amulets Forward Ankh depicted as reed bundle loop with arms/bronchial tubes erect, in sacred feminine blue. Is the Yang to Yin of Tyet/Isis Knot.

Symbol of immortality depicts Ra, our divine 'male' solar heart, freed from the Sphinx, our asphyxiating 'female' cave of lungs. Ancient Greek word 'anangkay' for 'oppressing weight, burden, necessity' that holds back from ascension the aspirant in the Mithras Liturgy is the alpha privative of Ankh. It means 'lack of ankh' just as anaerobic means lack of air. See More Origin of the Cross Home The Cross A tradition of the Church which our fathers have inherited, was the adoption of the words "cross" and "crucify". These words are nowhere to be found in the Greek of the New Testament. These words are mistranslations, a "later rendering", of the Greek words stauros and stauroo. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says, "STAUROS denotes, primarily, an upright pole or stake ... Both the noun and the verb stauroo, to fasten to a stake or pole, are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two-beamed cross.

The shape of the latter had its origin in ancient Chaldea (Babylon), and was used as the symbol of the god Tammuz (being in the shape of the mystic Tau, the initial of his name) ... By the middle of the 3rd century A.D. the churches had either departed from, or had travestied, certain doctrines of the Christian faith. In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols. Hence the Tau or T, in its most frequent form, with the cross piece lowered, was adopted . Dr. Bullinger, in the Companion Bible, appx. 162, states, "crosses were used as symbols of the Babylonian Sun-god ... It should be stated that Constantine was a Sun-god worshipper ... The evidence is thus complete, that the Lord was put to death upon an upright stake, and not on two pieces of timber placed at any angle." Rev. Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pp. 197-205, frankly calls the cross "this Pagan symbol ...

the Tau, the sign of the cross, the indisputable sign of Tammuz, the false Messiah ... the mystic Tau of the Cladeans (Babylonians) and Egyptians - the true original form of the letter T the initial of the name of Tammuz ... the Babylonian cross was the recognised emblem of Tammuz." In the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, vol. 14, p. 273, we read, "In the Egyption churches the cross was a pagan symbol of life borrowed by the Christians and interpreted in the pagan manner." Jacob Grimm, in his Deutsche Mythologie, says that the Teutonic (Germanic) tribes had their idol Thor, symbolised by a hammer, while the Roman Christians had their crux (cross). It was thus somewhat easier for the Teutons to accept the Roman Cross. Greek dictionaries, lexicons and other study books also declare the primary meaning of stauros to be an upright pale, pole or stake. The secondary meaning of "cross" is admitted by them to be a "later" rendering. At least two of them do not even mention "cross", and only render the meaning as "pole or stake".

In spite of this strong evidence and proof that the word stauros should have been translated "stake", and the verb stauroo to have been translated "impale", almost all the common versions of the Scriptures persist with the Latin Vulgate's crux (cross), a fallacious "later" rendering of the Greek stauros. Why then was the "cross" (crux) brought into the Faith? Again, historical evidence points to Constantine as the one who had the major share in uniting Sun-worship and the Messianic Faith. Constantine's famous vision of "the cross superimposed on the sun", in the year 312, is usually cited. Writers, ignorant of the fact that the cross was not to be found in the New Testament Scriptures, put much emphasis on this vision as the onset of the so-called "conversion" of Constantine. But, unless Constantine had been misguided by the Gnostic Manichean half-Christians, who indeed used the cross in their hybrid religion, this vision of the cross superimposed on the sun could only be the same old cosmic religion, the astrological religion of Babylon.

The fact remains: that which Constantine saw, is nowhere to be found in Scripture. We read in the book of Johannes Geffcken, The Last Days of Greco-Roman Paganism, p.319, "that even after 314 A.D. the coins of Constantine show an even-armed cross as a symbol for the Sun-god." Many scholars have doubted the "conversion" of Constantine because of the wicked deeds that he did afterwards, and because of the fact that he only requested to be baptized on his death-bed many years later, in the year 337. So, if the vision of the cross impressed him, and was used as a rallying symbol, it could not have been in honour of Yahushï¿½a, because Constantine continued paying homage to the Sun-deity and to one of the Sun-deity's symbols, the cross. This continuation of Sun-worship by Constantine is of by his persistent use of images of the Sun-deity on his coins that were issued by him up to the year 323.

Secondly, the fact of his motivation to issue his Sunday-keeping edict in the year 321, which was not done in honour of Yahushï¿½a, but was done because of the "venerable day of the Sun", as the edict read, is proof of this continued allegiance to Sol Invictus. We shall expand on this later. Where did the cross come from, then? J.C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols, p. 45, aptly summarises it, "Cross - A universal symbol from the most remote times; it is the cosmic symbol par excellence." Other authorities also call it a sun-symbol, a Babylonian sun-symbol, an astrological Babylonian-Assyrian and heathen run-symbol, also in the form of an encircled cross referred to as a "solar wheel", and many other varieties of crosses.

Also, "the cross represents the Tree of Life", the age-old fertility symbol, combining the vertical male and horizontal female principles, especially in Egypt, either as an ordinary cross, or better known in the form of the crux ansata, the Egyptian ankh (sometimes called the Tau cross), which had been carried over into our modern-day symbol of the female, well known in biology. As stated above, the indisputable sign of Tammuz, the mystic Tau of the Babylonians and Egyptians, was brought into the Church chiefly because of Constantine, and has since been adored with all the homage due only to the Most High. The Protestants have for many years refrained from undue adoration of, or homage to the cross, especially in England at the time of the Puritans in the 16th - 17th centuries. But lately this un-Scriptural symbol has been increasingly accepted in Protestantism. We have previously discussed "the weeping for Tammuz", and the similarity between the Easter resurrection and the return or rising of Tammuz. Tammuz was the young incarnate Sun, the Sun-divinity incarnate.

This same Sun-deity, known amongst the Babylonians as Tammuz, was identified with the Greek Adonis and with the Phoenician Adoni,96 all of them Sun-deities, being slain in winter, then being "wept for", and their return being celebrated by a festivity in spring, while some had it in summer - according to the myths of pagan idolatry. The evidence for its pagan origin is so convincing that The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that "the sign of the cross, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly antedates, in both East and the West, the introduction of Christianity.

It goes back to a very remote period of human civilization." It then continues and revers to the Tau cross of the pagan Egyptians, "In later times the Egyptian Christians (Copts), attracted by its form, and perhaps by its symbolism, adopted it as the emblem of the cross."98 Further proof of its pagan origin is the recorded evidence of the Vestal Virgins of pagan Rome having the cross hanging on a necklace,99 and the Egyptians doing it too, as early as the 15th century B.C.E.100 The Buddhists, and Ancient Egyptian Rot-n-no priests. Note the crosses on the robe, and hanging from their necks. Numerous other sects of India, also used the sign of the cross as a mark on their followers' heads. "The cross thus widely worshipped, or regarded as a 'sacred emblem', was the unequivocal symbol of Bacchus, the Babylonian Messiah, for he was represented with a head-band covered with crosses. "It was also the symbol of Jupiter Foederis in Rome.103 Furthermore, we read of the cross on top of the temple of Serapis,104 the Sun-deity of Alexandria.

This is Tammuz, whom the Greeks called Bacchus, with the crosses on his head-band. After Constantine had the "vision of the cross", he and his army promoted another variety of the cross, the Chi-Rho or Labarum or sometimes . This has subsequently been explained as representing the first letters of the name Christos, the being the Greek for "Ch" and the being the Greek for "r". but again, this emblem had a pagan origin. The identical symbols were found as inscriptions on a rock, dating from the year ca. 2 500 B.C., being interpreted as "a combination of two Sun-symbols", as the Ax or Hammer-symbol of the Sun- or Sky-deity, and the or as the ancient symbol of the Sun, both of these signs having a sensual or fertility meaning as well. Another proof of its pagan origin is the identical found on a coin of Ptolemeus III from the year 247 - 222 B.C.

A well-known encyclopaedia describes the Labarum (Chi-Rho) as, "The labarum was also an emblem of the Chaldean (Babylonian) sky-god and in Christianity it was adopted..."Emperor Constantine adopted this Labarum as the imperial ensign and thereby succeeded in "uniting both divisions of his troops, pagans and Christians, in a common worship ... according to Suicer the word (labarum) came into use in the reign of Hadrian, and was probably adopted from one of the nations conquered by the Romans. "It must be remembered that Hadrian reigned in the years 76 - 138, that he was a pagan emperor, worshipped the Sun-deity Serapis when he visited Alexandria, and was vehemently anti-Judaistic, being responsible for the final near-destruction of Jerusalem in the year 130. Another dictionary relates the following about the Chi-Rho, "However, the symbol was in use long before Christianity, and X (Chi) probably stood for Great Fire or Sun,and P (Rho) probably stood for Pater or Patah (Father).

The word labarum (labarum) yields everlasting Father Sun." What is the "mark of the beast" of which we read in Rev 13:16-17 , Rev 14:9-11 , Rev 15:2 , Rev 16:2 , Rev 19:20 and Rev 20:4 - a mark on people's foreheads and on their right hands? Rev 14:11 reveals the mark to be "the mark of his (the beast's) name." Have we not read about the mystic Tau, the T, the initial of Tammuz's name, his mark? This same letter T (Tau) was written in Egyptian hieroglyphics and in the old Wemitic languages as, representing the CROSS. Different interpretations have been given to the "mark of the beast", and also the cross has been suggested. There has been some research done on the strange crosses found on quite a few statues of pagan priests, on their foreheads. However, these scholars have been unable to come to an agreement. Conclusive evidence may still come (see among others: Dr. F.J.

Dolger, Antike und Christentum, vol. 2, pp. 281-293). Let us rather use the true rendering of the Scriptural words stauros and stauro, namely "stake" and "impale" and eliminate the un-Scriptural "cross" and "crucify". The History of the Cross | Just another WordPress.com weblog The History of the Cross •March 7, 2010 • 1 Comment Author B Billy Mars – Professional Geologist Writer of the H2onE2 and H3onE3 works Note Some text below did not fit into the video above. The cross is a universal symbol of tremendous significance, which dates back to prehistory; the original understanding has been hidden from the current technologically advanced Common Era human population. The first step in uncovering the fundamental meaning of the 2,000 year old Christian cross symbol, is figuring out what it evolved from, its origins. It is well accepted that the Christian cross was influenced by the ankh circle or bulbous cross, interpreted as the “key of life” or “eternal life” symbol.

The ankh dates to before the Old Kingdom period of ancient Egypt, well over 4,500 years ago and must have evolved as a bi-product of the prehistoric Stone Age culture. Since the cross is a universal symbol of human prehistoric struggle, other forms of the cross appear everywhere independently. The Celtic / sun cross or Bolgar cross, basically a cross inside a circle is also a prehistoric artifact but it developed in Stone Age Europe, independent of Mediterranean / Egyptian influences. Here is proof that a bulbous type cross is a universal symbol and has no, one linked cultural influence. As such, it developed independently in separate regions as a key to human development, as a reflection of the epic struggle. The only physical difference between the early prehistoric cross symbols, ( ankh, Celtic or Bolgar cross) and the 2,000 year old Christian cross is that the bulbous circle disappeared. In the Christian cross, the circle has been replaced with a sacrificial man, a demi-god, son of god.

The real scary thing is that Common Era, re-interpretations of the bulbous cross continue to be re-developed, re-worked and are always associated with groups that spawn evil, death, destruction or intellectual / social repression. Hitler / the Nazi’s modified a bulbous cross by bending the straight lines, in half to fabricate the Swastika. Groups like the KKK, neo-Nazi’s, Knights templar’s, knights of Columbus and the Freemasons have all modified the circle cross into their mystic symbology. So here is the evidence that a bulbous cross remands universally important regardless of time; time, time, time, time. To the Egyptians, the ankh, was considered the key of life and in hieroglyphic character it reads “eternal life”. Yet the origin and meaning of the ankh symbol remains a mystery to Egyptologists and no single hypothesis has been widely accepted by the educational community, ruling elitists or media. Can humans really consider themselves advanced if no one accepted meaning is concluded for the earliest, most primitive and exceedingly significant human symbol, literally defined as the “key to Life”?

If the Ankh is a “key of life”, as suggested by the ancient Egyptians, modern humans better be smart enough to figure out what this symbol meant or their own lives might be threaten in the future. If the education community / system refuses to answer why the Ankh was measured as the key to life, then they must represent an organization of death and human destruction. Since the cross is an object of symbology, it is impossible to completely remove the original meaning from the current interpretation. A partial, similar, modified understanding must be carried through from ancient to current times. It is undisputed that the Christian cross symbol was derived from the earlier ankh, so pretty simple if we solve the circle, knot or bulbous object in the ankh “bang, bang” we solve the mystery to the true meaning of the cross. In Egyptian hieroglyphic images, the Ankh loop or knot is often held, as a handle of some sorts. This might be an important feature to resolving its meaning. The modern interpretation of the circle cross has the knot moving from the top, to descend down to a center line position. This means that the physical structures in the circle cross must represent a movable, extendable or retractable structure.

All crosses are wildly accepted as phallic symbols and erectile tissue does swell and de-inflate. To solve the bulbous circle, we will be force to go prehistoric and look through the eyes of primitive humans. 5,000, 10,000 and even 20,000 years ago humans had two primary threats, other humans and wild animals. In fact, 5,000 years ago, humans were not yet on the top of the food chain. The top predators were most likely the big cats. In ancient times the Big cats, Tiger, Lion, Jaguar, Leopard, Cougar and Cheetah were everywhere and dangerous. The Siberian Tiger still obtains a length of 11 ft and weight of up to 660 pounds but 10,000 years ago the American cave lion or saber-tooth tiger could reach 1,000 pounds. Also these cats were everywhere and might have even been following human migration, as land sharks relentlessly farming and harvesting their human pray. The big cats were the top consumers because humans had no substantial protection and at anytime, anyplace could be eaten.

Stone Age weapons consisted of sticks, spears, simple bow, torch and maybe a shield. The Stone Age spear was essentially a piece of broken glass attached to the tip of a stick. The other primary weapon would be a very primitive and weak bow only useful for birds or small prey. The torch might just be the best defense against the big cats but it took precious seconds to get ignited and useful. Just imagine attaching a broken piece of glass to the end of a stick with the intention of entering the lion’s cage at the zoo. Even with a broken glass spear in one hand and a torch in the other, it is suicide to face down even a 200 pound cat, let alone, a 800 pound beast. Ankh ☥”’key of life symbol must represent protection from the big cats, the top predators, because protection from this threat at that time period would represent the true key to life. The Ankh cross, appears to always be associated with Anubis, one of the oldest deity, from the oldest periods of ancient Egypt, the Old Kingdom period.

In appearance, Anubis has the body of a man with the head of a black jackal; the name Anubis is the Greek name for jackal. He is often associated with mummification and in the Egyptian Book of the Dead Anubis determines if a sole should enter the afterlife (underworld). The Jackal belongs to the Canidae biological family of mammals that includes the wolf, fox, jackal, coyote and man’s best friend, the domesticated dog. The black jackal is an interpretive problem because no jackal is black and Anubis is clearly represented in black face. So Anubis must represent an early domesticated dog, not a jackal. Anubis was fluidly migrated into Greek and Roman Pythian as a gods that controls life, death and, or the after-life. In Greek mythology the three headed dog Cerberus appears to be a primary example of a dog that is associated with an afterlife. Also Charon, the Greek ferryman of the underworld is said to have worn wolf ears. The God Mars has an animal identity as a dog / wolf and decides death or life in times of War.

Read the H2onE2 Wolf man movie review, to find out much more. The ancient deity Anubis, has distinct features of raised elongated ears and snout. It is starting to look obvious that the key to life might have something to do with hearing and smelling out danger. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Anubis is often depicted holding two sacred objects, one the ankh bulbous cross, the other a Was-sceptre, the staff of life and death. What is quite interesting is that the Was-sceptre staff is a penis bone also called an os penis or baculum. And, the top of the Was-sceptre staff is the carved head of a jackal, suggesting this staff represents a penis bone of a Canidae; wolf, fox, jackal, coyote, or domesticated dog. The baculum or penis bone / os penis is found in mammals but is absent in humans, although present in our nearest biological relative the chimpanzee. The os penis is prominent in all Canidae; wolf, fox, jackal, coyote and dog’s.

It has been speculated by many intellectuals that Adam’s removed “rib” mentioned in the Eden narrative of Creation, refers to the removal of the baculum bone from the human penis. One commonality between prehistoric and the Christian cross is that the perpendicular line, the line that affixes the arms of Christ are not anatomically set to a specific location. The line seems to float or is movable, able to almost play hide and seek along the length of the main symbolic shaft. The horizontal line appears under the bulbous object in the Egyptian cross, near the top in the Christian cross, anatomical appears in the center when connecting it to the swatskicter or Celtic sun cross and at the bottom when the devil adopts the imaged of the cross. Studding mammal penises a very distinct element stands out, which could explain why the horizontal line moves along the length of the main shaft in symbology. In mammals the penis is commonly covered by an outer skin called a sheath. When examining or studding the dog penis an extremely import feature can be seen and is significant. All canid mammals have this uniquely strange physical structure on their penis called a bulbourethral Cowpers gland, which is rather rarely seen in the animal kingdom.

The bulbus glandis (also called a knot) is an enlarged circle, made out of erectile tissue and it is distinct to canid mammals. During mating, tissue at the back of the penis shaft swells up into a big fat ball and this ball locks or ties the male’s penis, to the female bitch dog. The knot apparently swells and locks the female dog to the male dog so the ejaculation is insured to occur inside the female dog and pull out does not occur. For domestic dogs the tie may last even up to half an hour, so a memorable element of dog reproduction. The dog also has the os penis which produces a partial erection and is required for early penetration, utilized prior to the knot locking, nut busting bang bang ejaculation. So in conclusion the Christian cross and all references of an archtypical cross refer to a dog’s penis because when humans domesticated dogs they moved to the top of the food chain. With the dog, big cats could be hunted down and regional threats could be removed. This stopped human migration and they quickly evolved from gatherers, roamers and prey, to settled hunters which claimed territory. Egyptian God Anubis Anubis by Frater Q.V.

The patron god of embalming, guide of the Underworld was Anubis. Known as friend of the dead and Opener of the Way, Anubis was a deity that could be seen throughout all of ancient Egypt. . The name of this god is traditionally spelled (Inpu). The name here is read left to right, with an abbreviated image of Anubis finishing. Often, as with many of Egypt’s deities, the spelling of the name changes but one characteristic stays the same: the jackal at the end. In some cases the jackal is raised up on a pedestal to show its holy importance. As the Hieroglyph indicates, Anubis is commonly seen as a Jackal. It’s believed that the jackal was chosen as the iconic figure for this deity due to the necropolis where the wild dogs of ancient times would often prowl to hunt for food. Some say that Anubis took the form of a jackal to help Isis and Nephthys search for the pieces of Osiris’s body.

According to legend, and the story does vary, the brother of Osiris, Seth, lured Osiris into an elaborate coffin and had it sealed shut then threw the box into the Nile where it washed up on the Phoenician coast. Isis then retrieved her husband’s body. When Seth learned of this he had Osiris’s body cut up into pieces and scattered throughout Egypt. It was then that Isis and her sister Nephthys in the form of Kite birds, and with Anubis in his jackal form, found all the parts of his body except the phallus. With the help of Thoth, the body was restored and Anubis wrapped it in linen; giving him the name “He Who is in the Place of Embalming.” Although there is some debate on the true animal that gave rise to the form of Anubis – some claim that the thick tail of the figure suggests that a jackal hybrid is the proper image – a jackal is always present in his form somehow. Many statues of Anubis were simply of a jackal upon a pedestal; as seen in most of the homes and villages of the kingdom. Often he was adorned with a golden tie or necklace.

Though usually in temple settings, Anubis is depicted having a human body with the head of a jackal and tail of a lion. Since the time of the first Egyptologists, this is the most commonly accepted form of Anubis. The skin of Anubis is often seen as very dark black or with a tinge of red. His flesh is a representation of the earthy energies with which he is connected. The color of his flesh is similar to that of the dark soil along the Nile. This rich, fertile soil was highly prized and gave the ancient kingdom the name Khem, which means “The Black Land”. The color of Anubis could be an identifying link to Osiris, who’s green flesh represents the fertile fields. Anubis’s heritage is one of debate among historians. Some scholars suggest that Anubis is the son of Nephthys and Set. Another legend states that Anubis was spawned from Nephthys and Osiris. Both legends have equal understandings due to the connections that Anubis has through Nephthys and the Underworld. An interesting fact is that Anubis can be seen in two different forms, as Anubis and as Wepewat.

As the mother of Anubis, Nephthys can be seen depicted with him in the Book of the Dead most often. She is usually seen as a goddess of night time and of darkness; this darkness could be the reason for the color of his skin. Being a goddess of darkness she is in opposition to her sister Isis, but maintains a friendly nature with her and Osiris. Nephthys and Isis worked together to find Osiris and bring him back from the dead and they stand behind him in the Hall of Truth to give eternal life to the deceased. It is said that Nephthys longed for the relationship and love that Osiris shared with Isis, so she disguised herself as Isis and seduced him. Osiris, son of Geb and Nuit, brother of Nephthys, Set, and Isis, father of Horus and (possibly) Anubis. Osiris is the god of the Underworld and Nephthys is the protector of the body of the deceased, mourning for the loss of her brother at the foot of his bier.

One version of the Anubis legend states that Nephthys took on the form of Osiris’s beautiful wife Isis and tricked him into making love to her; this would make Anubis the half brother of Horus. The connection to Horus can be seen in the later years of Anubis worship when he was joined with – or at times replaced by – Horus; which was possibly a political move by the priests of that time. Nephthys is often depicted as being a goddess of the night time and of darkness; her union with Osiris would be a great balance of light and darkness to create Anubis, who represents both light and darkness. Osiris is the god of the Underworld, death, the Nile floods, and immortality. As stated before his green skin is a link to the fertility of the Nile – though some say his green flesh depicts a rotting corpse – which makes an obvious link the dark soil-colored flesh of Anubis. The legend of Osiris states that Anubis was the priest who oversaw the funeral rites of Osiris, embalmed and mummified him perfectly so that his body withstood the influence of time and decay.

In the funerary rites for deceased Egyptians a priest was present wearing the mask of Anubis to assist in the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. The legend of Anubis being the offspring of Set and Nephthys is also understandable. Set is the god of darkness, night time, destruction, storms, and the barren desert. In the early days of Egypt he was seen as a friend of the dead but was later demonized. His form is that of a mysterious animal that resembles a cross between a jackal and an aardvark (over a decade ago, there was an animal caught and killed by peoples of the Salawa region that resembled the mythical Set creature, but there has been no further investigation). Set is said to be the wife of Nephthys; and being married to the god of such wickedness one could understand why she envied Isis. The natures of both Nephthys and Set make them fitting parents for the secondary form of Anubis called Wepawet; also seen as a jackal or wolf hybrid. Wepawet was originally seen as a god of war. His name could be seen on a military standard called a shedshed which lead armies into battle.

This may have become the very meaning for his name, Wepawet, meaning “Opener of the ways”. The task of guiding the deceased through the underworld was shared between Wepawet and Anubis.. Images of Wepawet can be seen at Abydos where his standard held up the box which contained the head of Osiris. The two jackal headed deities were originally seen as one deity but have eventually become two separate forms; Anubis of the East and Anubis of the West, as seen in the Kerux and Sentinel. As guide of the Underworld, Anubis takes the soul of the deceased before the gods to give the negative confession. When the journey through the Underworld was nearly complete, the deceased was taken to the Hall of Ma’at to be judged. Anubis watched over the beam of the scale to see that it was in the proper position while Thoth recorded the result. Anubis also took care that the dreaded Ammut – a beast made up of the head of a crocodile, front of a lioness, and the hind-quarters of a hippopotamus - could not devour the heart, causing the soul to be restless for all eternity.

After weighing the heart, if the deceased is found to be true of voice through its trials and negative confessions, Anubis brings them before Osiris to join him in immortality. These show obvious evidence of Anubis’s connection to the god of the Underworld. Some of the tools of Anubis are the Phoenix Wand, or Was scepter, and the Ankh. The Was scepter represents the rebirth and resurrection from death. There is a belief, however, that the Was scepter is directly linked to the power and strength of Set due to the oblong head of the wand and forked tail or prongs. The Ankh is the obvious symbol of life and could be referring to the eternal life that awaits the true of voice. With the image of Set in one hand and the symbol of life in the other, we can see that Anubis is balanced with both positive and negative forces. This balance makes him an excellent god to watch over the beam of the balance of Truth. In our tradition, Anubis can be found in the roles of the Kerux and the Sentinel. Both officers wear the form of Anubis, but there are two different forms.

The two are Anubis of the East (Anwusi-G m-PeioT) and Anubis of the West (Anwubi m-RemnT). Anubis of the East is worn by the Kerux and is seen as the Watcher of the gods. He guides the candidates during their journey while also guarding the inside of the temple. Anubis of the West is worn by the Sentinel, who stands outside the temple and is armed with a deadly weapon. Anubis of the West is called the Watcher Without, guarding the outside of the temple. He is in charge of the candidate waiting to be admitted into the temple. Anubis of the West can be attributed to another jackal headed god by the name of Wepawet (the opener of the ways). Anubis is the guide and opener of the way. He is the protector and friend of the dead overseeing the deceased to the weighing of the heart. His mother is Nephthys but his father is uncertain. Either way, Anubis is a deity that shows perfect balance between mercy and severity. Wonderfully, he oversees the candidate in the Hall of the Neophyte or the Hall of Ma’at.

Unlike the other gods of Ancient Egypt, Anubis doesn’t have a specific cult center. His worship was common in both Upper and Lower Egypt. Even today, when someone hears the name of Anubis they think of the jackal headed god and desert sands. Truly a figure head for all of Egypt, Anubis has opened the way for Ancient Egypt and given it eternal life.

Question: What is the name of the Egyptian Staff which had a cross and handle on it?
Answer: ANKH